Why is the FA Cup so rubbish these days?

It was nice to see the odd upset in the FA Cup at the weekend, albeit disappointing that one of the few teams capable of challenging the big four, Everton, were eliminated by Oldham. Indeed, can it really be true that Everton’s 1995 win was the last time a club from outside this elite were triumphant. I was a gangly, inelegant 16 year old just about to take my GCSEs when that game took place. Not much has changed but these days I have a mortgage and pension and think about how good schools might be when moving somewhere.

West Ham came very close to breaking this obscene big four dominance in 2006, but then Gerrard scored the screamer, that as Alan Pardew rightly pointed out, would have been far more memorable, for us all, had it come in the 90th minute against Portugal. At least that game had an underdog, thus creating some interest. The various permutations of the big four that we have seen since 1995 have yet to produce an exciting encounter, and have given us two utter stinkers (in 1996 and 2005). The cup really isn’t all that interesting any more.

I am not that old, but even I have seen a considerable change since I first started watching football. In 1987 Coventry beat Spurs in the final, and a year later Wimbledon toppled the mighty Liverpool. A couple of years after that Crystal Palace very nearly defeated Manchester united having already relieved us of Liverpool in a humdinger of a semi. These days, such results are limited to memory and teams I manage on Championship Manager. What is even more unacceptable is that these sides have reserve and youth sides of such quality, that the understudies make it to the final of the League cup as well. Unless they have to go to Roots Hall of course, and then they always slip up….

The other great disappointment of the FA cup is the guaranteed anti-climax that is the FA Cup draw. This is a disappointment that only increases the further you get into the tournament, and one that can only be fully appreciated by supporters of clubs from outside the Premiership. I support Southend, and from the moment you get into the 3rd round there is the hope that one of the big clubs will be your guest for the day. Instead of that we drew Dagenham and Redbridge; and I mean no offence to them – I am sure they were equally gutted to get us. This is exactly my point – two unhappy sides wistfully looking over at Luton drawing with Liverpool or Oldham dumping Everton out. Luckily we safely negotiated this banana skin, and with only 32 teams left, surely a big club to play in round four? Nope. Barnsley; and I make no apology to them, as frankly their supporters come across as witless, bovine fools on the message boards. You also have to feel sorry for giant slayers Oldham and Huddersfield who having disposed of Premiership opposition, drew each other in the 4th round. At least Havant and Waterlooville will play Liverpool (except they won’t, as Swansea will hammer them in their replay).

I am confident Southend can beat Barnsley, and if that’s the case home to Fulham in round five (a game I can go to with some Fulham supporting friends) would be the perfect opposition. Instead, we’ll probably end up with Norwich, Peterborough or Tranmere; to our mutual misery.